Devices and methods for monitoring sensors used in a vehicle are known from the related art in a variety of versions.
The patent application filed with the German Patent Office German Patent Application No. 196 36 443 describes a method and a device for monitoring sensors used in a vehicle. With this method and device, sensors each representing different physical parameters are monitored. The device contains means with which identically defined comparison variables are determined for at least two sensors, starting from at least the signals generated by them. The device also contains other means with which one reference variable is determined as a function of at least the determined comparison variables. A sensor reference variable is determined for each of the individual sensors on the basis of this reference variable. Taking into account the sensor reference variables, monitoring and/or correction is performed for each sensor. The above-mentioned patent application describes the following procedure for determining the reference variable.
On the basis of the identically defined comparison variables, a reference variable is determined by comparison of these comparison variables. To determine the reference variable, first the comparison variable having the greatest difference from the reference variable determined last is determined. Since this comparison variable has the greatest difference from the reference variable determined last, it can be concluded that under some circumstances the respective sensor might be defective. Consequently, this comparison variable is not taken into account in determining the instantaneous reference variable. The new reference variable is determined by forming a weighted average. First, the remaining comparison variables and second, the differences between the remaining comparison variables enter into the formation of the weighted average.
Systems for regulating the driving dynamics of a vehicle are described, for example, in the article "FDR--die Fahrdynamik-Regulung von Bosch (Regulating Drive Mechanics--the Bosch Method) published in the automotive engineering journal Automobiltechnische Zeitschrift (ATZ), volume 16, number 11 (1994) pages 674-689.